Submerged melt welding fixture



2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR REA. 1/ flxvams o/v BY 71,4 M, M @ZW ATTORNEYS R. V. ANDERSON SUBMERGED MELT WELDING FIXTURE Aug. 16, 1949.

Filed April 5, 194a 1949- R. v. ANDERSON 2,479,197

SUBMERGED MELT WELDING FIXTURE Filed April 5, 1946 2 SheetsSheet 2 INVENTOR REA k/lNafRso/v BY 251012, M, M

ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 16, 1949 UNITED STATED PATENT OFFICE SUBMERGED MELT WELDING FIXTURE Rea V. Anderson, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Rheem Manufacturing Company, Richmond, Calif., a company of California Application April 5, 1946, Serial No. 659,751

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to welding fixtures and, more particularly, to a welding fixture adapted to support a cylindrical shell during welding thereto of an end closure member or head.

In the construction of welded containers such as water tanks and the like, it is conventional practice to fit one end of a cylindrical shell with an end closure member or head either of concave or convex shape. The head is generally provided with a peripheral flange of such size as to fit snugly within the end of the shell. The peripheral flange can be welded to the end of a shell 12 inches in diameter in about 30 seconds by modern submerged melt welding technique. The welding technique has advanced more rapidly than the development of fixtures to hold and move the work to be welded, and it is, accordingly, the object of the present invention to provide a, workholding fixture capable of adapting modern welding technique to the mass production of welded containers.

The welding fixture of the invention is adapted to support a cylindrical shell assembly having an end closure member mounted at one end thereof and is adapted to rotate the shell about its axis during Welding of the periphery of the closure member to the shell. The fixture comprises driving means adapted to support the opposite end of the shell and to rotate the shell assembly during the welding operation. Positioning means is provided which is adapted to place the shell inposition for engagement with the driving means and means are provided for moving the shell thus positioned into engagement with the driving means. The means for moving the shell into engagement with the driving means includes a supporting structure adapted to support the end of the shell assembly adjacent the end closure member and is further adapted to provide support for the granular flux used in submerged melt welding of the closure member to the shell.

The foregoing and other novel features of the welding fixture of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the Welding fixture;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the welding fixture;

Fig. 3 is a side view in section of the supporting means for the end closure member of the shell assembly;

Fig. 4 is an end view of the supporting means shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a detailed partial section of the supporting means shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a side View in section of the driving means supporting the other end of the shell assembly; and

Fig. '7 is an end view of the driving means shown in Fig. 6.

The welding fixture of the invention is adapted to handle a cylindrical shell assembly comprising a shell it and an end closure member or head ll mounted at one end of the shell. The shell assembly is supported on rails, such as angle irons i2, mounted on a main frame i3. The shell assembly, supported by the angle irons [2 in conveyor-like manner, is rolled into a position directly above two pairs of rollers M of an elevating or positioning mechanism. In the positioning mechanism shown in the drawings, the rollers M are supported in the uppermost end of each of two pairs of rocker arms E5. The central portion of each rocker arm is pivotally mounted on a shaft 16 supported by main frame 3. The lowermost ends of each pair of rocker arms are connected by a shaft ll. The two shafts ll are engaged by the ends of a connecting arm i8 which is adapted to be moved by a yoke l9 mounted on a reciprocating shaft 23 of a hydraulic cylinder 2|. Movement of the reciprocating shaft 28 moves the cross arm i1 so as either to raise or lower the rollers M with respect to the level of the tracks (angle irons) l2. With a shell assembly placed directly over the rollers i4, raising of the rollers raises the shell assembly into axial alignment with a supporting member for each end of the shell assembly.

One of these supporting members (Figs. 3, 4 and 5) is adapted to engage the head of the shell assembly. It comprises a disc-shaped member 22 having a plurality of annular grooves 23 in one of which an annular ring 24 is removably secured by screws 25, or the like. The exposed side of the annular ring is provided with an inwardly sloping beveled surface 26 adapted to engage the convex surface of the head i l of the shell assembly. The rest of this same exposed side of the annular ring, that is, surface 21, is adapted to project radially outwardly beyond the periphery of the flange of the head I I, so as to provide support for a mass of granular flux for submerged melt welding at the periphery of the flange. Surface 2'! is advantageously flared or beveled backwardly for this purpose.

The central portion of the disc-shaped member 22 is provided with one or more pins 28 (two being shown in the drawing) adapted to engage fitting openings 29 in the head II. The pin engaging each fitting opening serves to align the sup- 3| is mounted. Movement of the shaft 32, andhence the head-supporting member, is controlled by the solenoid operated valve-35, *whic'h regulates the flow of hydraulic fluidto the cylinder. When the valve 35 is opened-the reciprocating shaft 32 is moved outwardly to force the annularj ring 24 of the head-supporting member into contact with the head I l of the shell'assembly. Forther movement of the reciprocating shaft in the same direction moves the shell assembly into engagement with the driving and supporting means atthe otherend of .theassembly.

This driving and supporting means- (FigsJG and :7) comprises a rotatable disc ,36. The face of the disc is provided with a plurality of concentric annular grooves 3'! of appropriate diameter to -engage the endsoflshlls of different .pre-determineddiameters. 'I'The'base of each groove is radiused,.as.shown at 38, so as .to permit wedging .contact'betweenthegroove and the endof the shell Till. The shoulders I39 between adjacent grooves are also radiused tofacilitate seatin of the .end of the shell in its appropriate groove. Therotatable disc 36 is supported-on a shaft 116 (see'Figs. 1 and 2) which is .mounted in a "bearing ll atopa supporting frame 32. "The shaft flllis-driveniby suitable means such as a chain "43 driven through a variable speed reducer M by .a motor'fi mounted Within the frame '42.

In operation of the welding fixture of the invention, a cylindrical shell assemblycomprising a shell l0 having an end closure member "il mounted at oneend thereof is rolled along the angle irons 1? 'until placed directly overth rollers I' l, The hydraulic cylinderzl is then operatedtopivotlthe rocker arms and thus raise "the shell assembly'into positioni'for engagement "by the supportingelements at each end of "the shell. In thisraised positionthe shell assembly "isaligned with theaxially aligned annularring 24 'atthe'head' end' of the assembly and the "driv- 'ing disc- 36 at the other" end of the assembly. Withthe sheliassembly'thus' positi'onedjthesolenoid operated valve 35 is operated'tomovejthe reciprocating shaft 32' "outwardly "so as to force "theannu'larTing-"Zfi into contact-with the *surface ofthe head H and further tomove'the en- --tireshell assembly on "rollers f4 until the opposite end or the shellen'gages' its appropriate groove *in the-"driving disc 35. 'The rollersll' arethen preferably lowered to permitfree rotation ofthe shell-"assemblyby'the drivin disctt. The-welding electrode-=46; submerged ina-granulardiuxfor submerged-melt welding, is then put into operation 'to 'weld'the periphery'of the-flange of the headmember-'41 to the end of'the shell H). The "body of-flux 'is' supported on --the flange of-*the head ll 'by'the'sloping surfaced"! of the annular ring 24, *the ring "being maintained in perfect alignment with the head I I by meansof the pins 28 engaging the fitting openings 29 in=the head l l. When thewelding 'has been'complete'd around the full periphery of "the head H the reci'procat- =ing shaft" 3-2is-*caused* to recede anddraw thean- *nular ring "23 away from" the head of the "shell "assembly. The-rollers l4 aresimultaneously raised to receive the shell assembly and are thn lowered to return the assembly to the angle irons l2 along which the assembly may be rolled to the next stage in its fabrication.

Each of the operating units of the welding fixture is provided with adjustments adapted to accommodate shell-assembliesofdifferent diameters eandilengths. Forexampla'the positioning or elevating mechanism i adapted to accommodate shell assemblies over a Wide range of lengths. To

accomplish this result, a series of appropriately spaced openings A! are provided in the frame l3 to hold one .of the shafts l6 supporting one pair v.ofrocker-arms l5. "By mounting the shaft in the appropriate-openings in the frame, the position of one pair of rocker arms can be brought closer -to-or further away from the other pair of rocker armsand thus handle shell assemblies of different lengths. The cross-arm I1 is provided with a correspondin .sliding adjustment such as a slot 48 in'whi-ch the lowerend of this; pair ofro'cker arms is adjustably secured "by locking nuts on a threade'd'sleeve' -fiil. *In' this way,the rockerarm can be maintained inalignment. 'The extent to :whichthe'rocker-arms are raised'by the throw of thehydrauliccylinder 21 "canbe adjusted by the *positionof a bolt 5 i slldably' mounted in the crossarm slot '43. A collar tzdnsures retraction of the rocker-arm when the plunger "of thehyd-raulic cylinder 2! is retracted, and a -stop- 53 limits the upward movement of the rocker arms'to a s-ubstantia'lly vertical position.

The disc-shaped member 220f the head-supporting member is --also provided with -means for adjustment to accommodate headsof difierent shapesan-d sizes. "Thus, a plurality of concentric recesses '23is 'provided in thedisc-shaped member -22 so that annular rings '24 of appropriate diametermaylbemounted for engagement-with heads of pro-determined size, these alternate rings"2'4 being shown by the dotted lines -in Fig.5. The shape -of the exposed face of the annular'ring .maybeinwardlyi beveled as shoWnin-the drawing :to accommodate: a convex shaped head, and an- =otherzring.of. the .same diameter-but with an outawardly beveled \edge is provided with advantage -for;:engagement1with concave-shaped heads.

. The :position of "the; driving disc .36.may also"-be "altered to, accommodate shell assemblies of different: lengths. This is accomplished by mounting -thexsupporting'frame 42 on wheels fitridingin itracks 255 .so :that the supporting frame can Ibe moveds'towardor away. from the' head supporting .membe-r. The :position of .the supporting frame #32 is '1 established. and maintained iby af-threade'd shaft :55 extending .through .a threaded bushing ifi'lzinathe-supporting frame 42 and mounted in: a zfixed;en'diframe-='58. The end ofthe sha'ftis-prozvided with alhand whee-1 59 so that by rotation of tithe shaft 556 the position of -=the'-supporting frame 42 with its-driving disc 35 'may be-established to-engage the endof ashell assembly of any. overall length. It will be noted in*Fig.' 2 that :the width of the movable supporting frame 42 is Jess than that" of main frame -I'3. This permits movement of the frame 42 partially under frame F3 to accominodate short shell assemblies. And in order to vc-permit still greater flexibility,- the sh-aft- M =supporting' the "driving disc 36 is elongated and iskeyed -'to the bearing *4 I by locking collars 60 so as to provide additional length-of movement of the driving -disc36 for extremely short or long shells.

It will be seenjtherefore, that the novel welding fixture of the present invention*provi'des 'means for handling a cylindrical shell assembly with a deftness commensurate with the speed of modern submerged melt welding. The welding fixture is characterized by exceptional versatility in handling shell assemblies of any of a wide variety of diameters and lengths. Moreover, although the fixture has been described in conjunction with submerged melt welding, it may be used With advantage with any type of welding adapted to provide a suitable weld between a cylindrical shell and its end closure member.

I claim:

A submerged melt welding fixture adapted to support a cylindrical shell assembly having an and closure member mounted at one end thereof and to rotate the shell about its axis during submerged melt welding of the periphery of said closure member to the shell, comprising a discshaped rotatable driving member having an annular recess adapted to engage and support the opposite end of the shell and thus rotate the shell assembly, positioning means adapted to place the shell in position for engagement with the driving member, a supporting member adapted to engage and support the shell assembly adjacent the end closure member, the supporting member comprising a frame and an annular ring mounted in the frame, the ring being adapted to engage the surface of said end closure member adjacent the periphery thereof and to extend radially outwardly beyond said periphery to provide a support for a body of granular flux adjacent the periphery of said end closure member during the submerged melt welding operation, means for aligning the supporting member with the shell assembly, and means associated with said supportin member adapted to move the positioned shell into engagement with the driving means.

REA V. ANDERSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 164,232 Tandy June 8, 1875 234,271 Gornall Nov. 9, 1880 1,035,254 Smith Aug. 13, 1912 1,713,625 Rhodes May 21, 1929 1,904,913 Adam-s Apr. 18, 1933 1,907,702 Anderson May 9, 1933 2,004,816 Lindgren June 11, 1935 2,020,830 Gray Nov. 12, 1935 2,145,009 Keir Jan. 24, 1939 2,256,879 Cornell Sept. 23, 1941 2,303,720 Berkeley Dec. 1, 1942 2,349,865 Hawk et a1 May 30, 1944 2,434,321 Kleiner et al. Jan. 13, 1948 

